


a thousand glimpses

by neednoname



Series: the hawk and the archer, the gunslinger and the wolf [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Ladyhawke Fusion, Angst, Animal Transformation, Curses, M/M, Sorta set in the canon verse tho?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-22 22:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18536536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neednoname/pseuds/neednoname
Summary: When separated by day and night, sometimes you just have to make do with the next best thing.(A prequel to part one)





	a thousand glimpses

**Author's Note:**

> (do you need to read the previous part to read this? honestly i have no idea)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I may or may not be posting this when I 100% should be sleeping so pardon any errors)

It begun when Hanzo noticed the phone.

 

(...No. It truly started months ago when he and Jesse were damned to be torn apart even when they were at each other’s side--)

 

He had not noticed until after he finished the meal that had awaited him when he woke.

(It was still warm… Jesse did not have to bother yet he always did.)

The device lay in clear sight on top of McCree’s folded serape.

Hanzo’s stomach twisted in a knot. Such a small difference from the afternoon before that meant so much uncertainty. The battered device was definitely not there previously, meaning Jesse had likely taken it last night. And the only way he would have had a chance to obtain it was if he had gone into town or if another had ventured into the woods. The act of stealing did not bother Hanzo at all, far from it. It was the potential consequences that sent chills up Hanzo’s spine.

Obtaining a phone was futile in the first place. What little amount of connections the two of them had were useless. _They_ were no doubt keeping an eye on any previous Overwatch agents and there was no one else Hanzo had to rely on ever since… -There was no way to get into contact with anyone Jesse found trustworthy without putting them all in danger.

(Besides, the two of them specifically choose _this_ location due to its odd effects on communication networks.)

The mercenary reached for the hawk who preened as Hanzo scritched under his beak. “What were you trying to do?” he murmured to him quietly. The hawk of course gave no answer other than pleased chirps.

He had to resist the urge to dispose of the device, reminding himself that not everything strange would be another trap.

After wrapping the tattered serape around himself, Hanzo carefully looked for any files and records. To his relief, it had been disconnected from any network, no calls were sent, nothing to be traced back to their location. No, Jesse was no fool, he should not have thought less of him.

It appeared the entire device had been wiped except...

A single video. Hanzo paused at thumbnail and felt his heart stop.

A face he has not seen in months, one he thought he would never see again.

Without hesitation, abandoning all his caution, he started the holovid.

“ _Hanzo_ ,” breathed out Jesse. Simply the sound of his voice made Hanzo’s heart wrench, longing for what was taken from him. The hologram showed Jesse McCree right where Hanzo was sitting right now, in the dark with only fire lighting the cowboy’s face. It was different, Jesse was different. His beard was roughly cut and his hair was now long enough to be tied into a loose ponytail. Hanzo could make out the shadowed shapes of the battered tent and motorcycle behind him.

A large black wolf was lying on its side, its head resting on Jesse’s lap.

Was… that himself?

Seeing the animal was… unsettling. It paid no attention to its surroundings, its tail swaying idly side to side, gaze unfocused. It was simply content to remain close to Jesse. Hanzo gritted his teeth at the utter disconnect between himself and what he became when night fell. Distracted by the wolf, he had drowned out Jesse’s words.

But suddenly they stopped.and Hanzo’s eyes flickered back to Jesse.

The man had looked away, chewing on the bottom of his lip. His shoulders slumped and when he looked back up Hanzo could see nothing other than exhaustion.

“ _C’mon_ _Hanzo, please see this,_ ” he whispered and Hanzo could not miss the way his voice trembled.

The recording ended and the projection flickered out, the phone returning to the lone video thumbnail. Hanzo gently placed the tips of his fingers on the frozen image of the man he loved most. Perhaps this only made this torture worse, finally seeing the man he held so dear yet being unable to truly be there with him, finally hearing his voice after so long yet only being able to truly hear the calls of a hawk.

(He tried to recall what it was like during the night, if he could remember anything, if the wolf could _think._

But there was nothing, nothing but fierce loyalty to the man at his side and a mindless feeling of sorrow.

A mere animal.)

 

Hanzo closed his eyes.

And pressed the play button once more.

 

* * *

 

 

Jesse pushed himself up off the ground with a groan.

 

He hated how he’s somehow gotten used to waking up completely naked in the middle of a forest.

And it didn’t change the fact that it was getting closer to winter so now he’ll have the pleasure of getting used to waking up completely naked in the middle of a forest while freezing his ass off.

Immediately a warm presence was at his side, ushering him closer to the fire, where a pile of neatly folded clothes and his boots were close by next to his prosthesis. A pot of steaming hot water sat next to a cup and a pack of instant coffee.

“You’re too good to me, Han,” he sighed in relief, pressing his head against the wolf. And immediately pulled back with a grimace when the wolf proceeded to lick his face.

The pain from the shift was fading fast, a far cry from how it used to linger back during the first few months. Maybe one day it’ll stop hurting. Maybe one day they’ll get used to this.

The gunslinger squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to latch onto those fleeting moments of the change, of the hours before that, to catch a glimpse of _him_ but it was no good. There were vague feelings but nothing of what actually happened during the day, of what the hawk could’ve done nor seen.

(only instincts of _stayprotectlove_ )

 

There was a weight in his pocket that Jesse noticed as he pulled on his pants. Fishing it out, he frowned at the phone until the memory hit him.

The holovid!

Well now, maybe that shot in the dark actually worked.

Heart hammering in his chest, Jesse fumbled with the battered phone. To his relief, there was another video.

The projection was bright, so bright, filled with daylight filtered by trees that covered the whole area. It struck him that this was the first time he saw the place clearly.

Hanzo had a tired smile on his face as he said, “ _Hello, Jesse._ ” Jesse released the breath he was holding with a shudder. The archer had changed to say the least. His undercut was gone, hair on the sides of his head grown out, and his piercings were long since closed. The bags under his eyes worse than ever.

And perched at his side...

Jesse couldn’t help but wince to see the hawk missing a wing.

He clenched his fist. Yeah, of course it was.

Even when he was stuck as a wolf, Hanzo was useful to have around. The wolf had helped him fight off the last of their pursuers and after they settled down he helped him hunt when they couldn’t get to a town for supplies.

But the hawk couldn’t even fly. How the hell could it help when it was almost literally a sitting duck?

He couldn’t hold back the wave of helplessness that washed over him, the tightness in his throat, the guilt that took hold of him.

( _Why didn’t he listen to their threats, why didn’t he get him out before it was too late? How could he just let Hanzo get trapped with him--?_ )

The wolf nudged him with a whine. He settled down next to the cowboy, pressing close as if to reassure him. Jesse took a deep breath, closed his eyes and leaned against him, running his fingers through the wolf’s scruff.

In the dark, there was only the sound of Hanzo’s voice and the warmth at his side.

 

“ _I miss you_.”

 

“I miss you too, darling.”


End file.
